


Conversations

by Rachy



Category: PIERCE Tamora - Works, The Immortals - Tamora Pierce, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: F/M, Goldenlake, building relationships, married conversations, smackdown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-20
Updated: 2013-05-20
Packaged: 2017-12-12 10:01:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/810304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachy/pseuds/Rachy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kally and Kaddar have a conversation about mothers and the want of grandchildren.</p>
<p>Written for Goldenlake's 2013 SMACKDOWN, for Kalasin/Kaddar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conversations

“How can I make your mother like me? “

Kaddar smiles, leaning over the table and kissing her forehead. He sits down and opens his book, for all intents relaxing. Kalasin clears her throat. 

 

“Give her a grandchild.” He replies, and when she looks up, waggles his eyebrows. She glares scathingly back at him.

 

“That is a process that requires both of us. And I do not see you doing very much about it, or you earning your mother's disparaging treatment because of it.”

 

“I am her golden boy.”

 

“No.” She replies in exaggerated shock. He chuckles.

 

“She probably thinks you are bolting the door to your chambers shut every night. It would be rude of her to mention it to me or to you. “

 

“Fear of being rude does not disturb your mother for a second. She would tell me that I am denying you your conjugal rights even if I was quite clearly not. She would never believe that you were not visiting my chambers of your own choice. “

 

“And does that bother you?” He asks slowly, turning at the bite in her voice. She shrugs. “Kalasin. Kally. You are allowed to talk to me about things that have the potential to or are making you uncomfortable, even if the cause is me.”

 

“It doesn’t bother me. Not as such. I know you do it with good intentions and in my best interest and I agree with your reasons. But everyone else views it as you tiring of your foreigner wife and of your marriage bed after five months. Everyone else sees it as five months without the Empress proclaiming she is with child instead of her disagreement with the lack of progression towards changing inheritance laws. Everyone else has grown tired of the Empress not giving you an heir in miraculous times already. It is like the eight years you have spent without a wife and heirs have vanished and instead it has been eight years that we have been wed and I still have no child for you.” Kally’s voice is bland, but she still emphasises certain words more than others. Kaddar frowns.

 

“You can just say my mother when you say everyone else, Kally. “ He leans over the table and takes her hands, pressing gently on them until she meets his eyes. “And you know, you know that I have not tired of you, nor of our marriage bed, or that you are still disagreeing with my council. I doubt very much that I ever will tire of any of those things.” 

“You are too kind.” She says quietly, and a wicked smile darts across her lips as she opens her mouth.

“And I know that you will try to make me regret saying one of those things. Perhaps two. Perhaps all three.” He blurts out, forestalling her remark, and he smiles when she laughs. ”But they all form part of the reasons why I care for you. And the reasons why I don’t visit your chambers every night. I don’t ever want you to feel like you do not have a choice and I do not want to intrude. I don’t want to force myself on you. Or make you be sick of my presence and will me away.”

“I don’t resent you. I won’t resent you.” She stands and walks over to him and sits next to him on the chaise, taking his hand again. “I don’t want you to resent me either. But just know, that everything you have done for me is appreciated so very much. Including interceding with your mother on my behalf.”

 

“No one was supposed to tell you about that.” He mutters, and she elbows his side. 

 

“You just confirmed my suspicions. I am a grown woman, and handling a mother in law is all part of marriage. Having a husband tell his mother to stop harassing his wife is not quite in the vows we gave.”

 

“I vow to protect you, to honour you, to love you.” He murmurs into her hair, and she laughs. 

 

“Which part of that was to do with your mother?” She asks, nestling herself into his side.

 

“The protection bit.”

 

“I prefer the other things you vowed. Like the respect vow and the worship vow and the forsaking no other vow. And the care vow. In sickness and in health.” She presses her mouth to his neck, kissing her way up to his jaw.

 

“I think I need a refresher in what those vows entailed.” He says stiffly, and she sighs. He moves his hand to her chin and tilts it up, kissing her gently before she pulls him closer.

 

“It is a pity then, that we have council meetings all afternoon.”

 

“I think that would break the forsake no other vow we made.”

 

“And yet. Perhaps I shall visit your bedchambers tonight.”

 

“Perhaps you should stay there well into the morning.”

 

“You always leave once I wake.”

 

“You do not wake early enough. But I will stay with you in my bedchambers tomorrow. If you wake early enough.”

 

“And what do I get if I do?”

 

“Many pleasurable things. Least of all that I have arranged a late breakfast with my mother in the morning, and we already know she has no boundaries.”

 

“That does not sound proper.” She scolds gently, but she is smiling.

 

“No. But that will annoy my mother enough that she will be quiet for a few days. And I promise you, you will enjoy it enough to forget about my mother.”

 

“Well, if you promise, I will hold you to it.”

 

“I’m counting on it.” He replies, and pulls her back into his arms.


End file.
